


Watching you sleep

by Lunedd



Series: The Darkest Hour [2]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Angst and Fluff, Coda to 8.11, Falling in love without noticing, Friendship, Hurt Danny "Danno" Williams, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Steve McGarrett, Spoiler for 8.10 + 8.11, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-29
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2019-03-11 01:38:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13514061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunedd/pseuds/Lunedd
Summary: Steve snorts. „This is really the worst movie I’ve ever watched. What did you call it? A classic? Well - I guess I know why it’s shown at such a late time!“ He is sitting next to Danny, comfortably leaned back on his best friend’s couch. Legs spread wide in a relaxed posture, his head resting on the cushion he has grabbed earlier (after they killed the rest of those delicious cookies Danny had baked) and stuffed under his head so he doesn‘t have to put any effort into simply watching TV.There is no answer from Danny, and ever since that terrible day in quarantine Steve is instantly alerted. He sits up and turns to Danny. For a just as terrible long moment, he thinks Danny is dead, that there's blood seeping out of his chest, soaking his dark grey shirt and gushing all over Steve's hands again. Steve shakes his head and blinks.





	Watching you sleep

**Author's Note:**

  * For [NatalieRyan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NatalieRyan/gifts).



> This is what happens when you talk very, very late at night - I didn't even plan to write a coda for 8.11, an overall really good episode. I totall blame that one on you, NatalieRyan! :)
> 
> The song text is from Union J "I love to watch you sleep"
> 
>  
> 
> Of course H50 and no characters are my own. I just use the playground CBS provided us with.
> 
> (no native speaker, not beta-read; please be gentle)

 

 

> _Looking out the window_
> 
> _Moon is smiling as you're laying next to me_
> 
> _For the first time I know_
> 
> _In my soul that I am where I'm meant to be_
> 
> _Here with you_

 

* * *

 

Steve snorts. „This is really the worst movie I’ve ever watched. What did you call it? A classic? Well - I guess I know why it’s shown at such a late time!“ He is sitting next to Danny, comfortably leaned back on his best friend’s couch. Legs spread wide in a relaxed posture, his head resting on the cushion he has grabbed earlier (after they killed the rest of those delicious cookies Danny had baked) and stuffed under his head so he doesn‘t have to put any effort into simply watching TV.

There is no answer from Danny, and ever since that terrible day in quarantine Steve is instantly alerted. He sits up and turns to Danny. For a just as terrible long moment, he thinks Danny is dead, that there's blood seeping out of his chest, soaking his dark grey shirt and gushing all over Steve's hands again. Steve shakes his head and blinks.

Danny is sitting next to him, feet propped up on the coffee table, his heels protected from the hard table edge by a cushion that Steve has pushed earlier this evening under Danny's bare feet. He is sleeping soundly, and Steve can't hold back a shaky breath of relief that escapes him.

_Danny is alive._

He's far from being in a good shape, though, no matter how bravely Danny had smiled during the short period he had been at Steve's house for Christmas dinner, together with all their friends. Steve had very well seen how gingerly Danny walked, how he favored his uninjured side, and so he had silently ordered Tani to stay at Danny's side. She had nodded, a fierce look of protectiveness in her dark eyes. Still, Danny had left soon after dinner was finished. To go back home and tell Charlie a christmas story, he had explained.

Since Danny hadn't been cleared to drive yet, Adam had volunteered to bring him home. He still had something to do there, he had said to Steve with a wink and left with Danny. After that, the rest of the „First Steve & Eddie McGarrett Christmas Bash“ had not been the same — at least for Steve. He barely could wait for the last guests to go home, finally, and then threw himself into the Silverado to drive to Danny's.

Steve lets his eyes wander over Danny's face, now that he can do it without getting a snarky remark from the blond Jerseyan. He seems so much younger, despite the lines of pain he has around his mouth and eyes even in his sleep. But the lines of worry that normally crease his forehead — and yes, Danny Williams is _the_ prototype of all curmudgeons — are gone. A small smile tugs at Steve's mouth as he watches how Danny sniffles in his sleep, once, twice, while his fingers are twitching.

He would give his left arm in an instant to know what Danny is dreaming right now, Steve muses. And as he watches, the lines of worry are creeping back upon Danny’s forehead, his fingers, just a second ago open and lax save for the occasional _twitch-twitch_ , are curling into his palms now, harder and harder. There’s a change in Danny's breathing, too. It's coming faster now, more shallow, and Steve can't take is eyes away from Danny‘s lips, waiting for them to take on that horrible blue tinge they had on that terrible day in quarantine, when Danny‘s lungs were incapable of drawing enough oxygen into his cells.

Steve has raised a hand before he is even aware of it. It hovers over Danny‘s face, barely inches away. But his lips aren't blue, Steve notices now, his face isn't gray and ashen as it was that day. It is flushed from an exhausting day, from the exertion of entertaining a lively 6-year-old and from being on his feet too long instead of being settled cozily in bed and resting. Steve sighs and allows his hand to touch Danny's hair. It’s soft without the products Danny normally puts into it, the faint smell of soap coming from it indicating that Danny had a shower not too long ago.

Danny sniffles again, and his breathing gets easier. Encouraged by this, Steve slowly brushes a strand or two back from Danny‘s forehead and then trails his fingertips over Danny‘s cheek. When Danny leans into the touch, still fast asleep, Steve sighs again, relenting, and carefully shifts until he is close enough to Danny to put an arm around his shoulders without jostling his bad side.

Just as naturally as Steve's arm fits around these shoulders, Danny turns unconsciously toward him, almost like curling into the taller man. Steve blows a kiss on Danny's hair.

„I - maybe I can't protect you from harm, Danno,“ he whispers, sudden tears burning in his eyes. „But I promise you to be there for you afterward. Always.“


End file.
